KillNThrill24
Legend
Didn't know what to title it but my Grand Am just died for the third time in 2 weeks. This time I'm not sure WHAT'S wrong with it. Started driving home from work after another 10hr day and the second I turned the car on it was sitting at 1200rpm. Strange, I thought. But nonetheless I kept driving. Thought maybe it was cold so it was idling high (although this will be the 5th winter I've driven this car, and never had it idled that high before). Slowed down as I turned out of my parking lot to turn onto the street to start my trip home. Noticed a strange bogging... Hit the gas and it almost felt like the brakes were hanging the way it was accelerating (again I've had this car 5yrs I know exactly how it should accelerate, even cold). Thought again to myself, that I should feel the wheel's when I get out to see if they were abnormally hot. I had my e-brake hang up on my Mustang and the wheel was on freaking fire, needless to say half of my e-brake is disconnected at the moment. Well right after I thought that I went ahead and let off the gas to see how fast the speed dropped. O it dropped alright, but what caught my eye was the RPM gauge which dropped down to 4-500rpm. I thought, again, shit I hope I can limp this fukker home.
Sure enough as I approached the stop sign I had to brake with my left foot, put the car in neutral and keep pumping the gas with my right foot. I tried to keep constant pressure on the gas but that proved to be too much of a challenge when braking, the RPM's would drop fast as I approached stop and I would have to stomp the gas to get it going again, so I just pumped it instead. Made that turn, barely, and continued on my way. Approached the next light, which was red, and it died. Couldn't get my feet moving fast enough as I'm not used to braking with my left foot and it just died. Took 5 attempts to get it started. The odd part is, it never cranked. The key did nothing at all. Almost as if the starter was dead. Well I replaced the starter last year, it's fine. Finally I got it started again and when the key finally cranked the motor it started up right away, ruling out starter issues.
So by a miracle I limped it all the way home the remaining 15mi and somehow made every single light. It only died once in the process and again it was because I wasn't used to braking with my left foot. Started getting the hang of it and made it home. Had I hit a red light I would have surely been screwed, I rolled the 3 stop signs big time.
Got it partway up my drive way and put it in park, expecting it to die. WELL it didn't. Bastard sat there pulsing for 10min while I moved my Camaro out into the grass next to the driveway. Got back in it, put it in drive and it died. Couldn't get it started again. Started pushin. Pushing uphill sucks, so I got it moved 3 inches lol. Mom tried starting it since she was in it and baaaaaarely got it started and had the pedal to the floor and got it up the driveway. It then died, and now there's a funky smell behind it.
My guess would unfortunately be a fuel pump. What do you guys think? I thought initially alternator, but I don't know. It's gotta be one or the other, or both. And for the record I got underneath the back of it and clearly heard the pump running. But that doesn't mean running well does it? Sorry for the story, but I wanted to include as many details as I could to hopefully help you guys understand what exactly it's doing.
Sure enough as I approached the stop sign I had to brake with my left foot, put the car in neutral and keep pumping the gas with my right foot. I tried to keep constant pressure on the gas but that proved to be too much of a challenge when braking, the RPM's would drop fast as I approached stop and I would have to stomp the gas to get it going again, so I just pumped it instead. Made that turn, barely, and continued on my way. Approached the next light, which was red, and it died. Couldn't get my feet moving fast enough as I'm not used to braking with my left foot and it just died. Took 5 attempts to get it started. The odd part is, it never cranked. The key did nothing at all. Almost as if the starter was dead. Well I replaced the starter last year, it's fine. Finally I got it started again and when the key finally cranked the motor it started up right away, ruling out starter issues.
So by a miracle I limped it all the way home the remaining 15mi and somehow made every single light. It only died once in the process and again it was because I wasn't used to braking with my left foot. Started getting the hang of it and made it home. Had I hit a red light I would have surely been screwed, I rolled the 3 stop signs big time.
Got it partway up my drive way and put it in park, expecting it to die. WELL it didn't. Bastard sat there pulsing for 10min while I moved my Camaro out into the grass next to the driveway. Got back in it, put it in drive and it died. Couldn't get it started again. Started pushin. Pushing uphill sucks, so I got it moved 3 inches lol. Mom tried starting it since she was in it and baaaaaarely got it started and had the pedal to the floor and got it up the driveway. It then died, and now there's a funky smell behind it.
My guess would unfortunately be a fuel pump. What do you guys think? I thought initially alternator, but I don't know. It's gotta be one or the other, or both. And for the record I got underneath the back of it and clearly heard the pump running. But that doesn't mean running well does it? Sorry for the story, but I wanted to include as many details as I could to hopefully help you guys understand what exactly it's doing.